The first day of the 2013 boys tennis season found Vernon-Verona-Sherrill senior Matt McCall outside plying his trades in temperatures that hovered around 50 degrees.

Two Mondays later McCall was back outside, only this time dodging snow piles as he battled teammate Eric Day.

"The snow? You get used to it," McCall said.

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Area players have been used to McCall being one of the area's best and this spring should be no different. Now 5-foot-11 and 175 pounds, McCall looms as one of Section III's more athletic and experienced players. When he was a 5-foot-5 freshman McCall battled Oneida's Trevor Haskell, a state tourney veteran. He lost, but there were times in their matches when he fared well.

"Consistency was a problem," McCall said.

Consistency in providing strong opposition won't be a problem in 2013 as Oneida's David Kann looms as one of McCall's main rivals.

"We train together a lot all year," McCall said of the friendly but very competitive rivalry with a fellow senior. "We've been neck and neck since we were 12. And there's (New Hartford's) Vishnu."

For the time being McCall is battling his teammates in practice when they can get outside. That hasn't been often this March as recent snows and cold temperatures have slowed every team's progression.

"This is only the third time out, and we had two in the tennis dome," VVS' new coach Bob Davis said. "We're trying to establish a ladder."

McCall is at the top for VVS and Day, Paul Ziarko and Devin Vallee are among those vying for slots behind the team's ace.

Kann and Jeffery Coulter are the returning starters for Oneida coach Todd Hicks (108-19, 2004-2012). Oneida won the Tri-Valley League title last year but graduated many standouts.

The 18 players competing in Oneida's boys tennis program this spring is good, though, and there's plenty of hope for another great run.

Hicks is ecstatic with the 18 on his varsity squad and the nearly two dozen on JV. Jessie Morrison is another athlete to watch for when play begins.

"They are super athletes who love to compete," Hicks said. "My doubles teams will be instrumental to our success this year. I know they can hit the ball. Playing smart and being strategic remains to be seen.

"The league will be extremely competitive. Proctor will have the league's best player and New Hartford will have great depth and will most likely be the team to beat. It will be (a) competitive year for us. We need to get on the courts and the boys need to start competing."

Oneida was supposed to open March 26 with a non-league match against Norwich at home. With a few inches of snow still on the courts Monday, that's unlikely.

The likely leaders at Morrisville-Eaton for coach Eric Kent (2002-2012) are Nick Raymond at first singles and Alex Clark at second singles.

M-E doesn't have girls tennis in the fall, so Emily Widger plays in the spring and excels. She returns and should vie for third singles or first doubles. Watch for Jesse Buell, Corey Leete and Colton Mennig to contribute well in their return as well as newcomers Tristan Martin and Alicia LaFever.

Veteran coach Eric Bird returns at Camden and aims for his team to better last year's 5-9 record. Singles players Rich Price, Ryan Lisenko and Zach Price and doubles veteran Charlie Price should lead the way for the Blue Devils.